


No Restrictions

by tlcinbflo



Category: Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: Christmas Fluff, F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-31
Updated: 2018-12-31
Packaged: 2019-10-01 09:54:37
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,274
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17242115
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tlcinbflo/pseuds/tlcinbflo
Summary: Caitriona Shepard is tired of the gentle way Kaidan handles her ever since she was released from the hospital. The reapers are gone and it's Christmas time. There is too much to celebrate and no reason not to.





	No Restrictions

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Sirius Ordo (tpdlady306)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/tpdlady306/gifts).



It had been too long since she’d felt like more than a science project. Lazarus. Followed by the poking and prodding they did after she’d surrendered herself to the Alliance as they tried to figure out what Cerberus had done to her to bring her back. Then the war, running herself ragged, fighting desperately to find a way to save everyone. There were days, weeks, months during the war she’d felt like she was running on nothing but caffeine and adrenaline. 

Hell, if it hadn’t been for Kaidan she wouldn’t have made it to the end. Kaidan. That man had been through so much, too. Losing her over Alchera, fighting his way through that grief. No, he did more than fight – he thrived. His career took off; receiving commendations and promotions, but never being able to move on. Then, he lost her again. When the Crucible fired, and she’d gone missing. He refused to believe she was gone, refused to believe she had died again – not this time, not without seeing a body. He’d saved her. Another few hours drifting and she would have been gone – again, and not even Cerberus would have been able to bring her back. 

That was all in the past now. She’d been home from the hospital for a month. Given a clean bill of health and all restrictions to her activities had been lifted. Yet, Kaidan’s hand still trembled when he touched her – as if too much pressure would cause her to break. He barely kissed her; no more than a gentle press of his lips on hers. He always found a reason not to take things further. 

She missed him, missed his touch, his kiss, missed the way he felt on top of her, her legs around him. Yes, she’d been rebuilt by Cerberus and coaxed back from the brink of death again after the war, but she loved him, and not being able to be with him was driving her mad. 

So, she decided to surprise him. He was finishing up at the office – he was teaching since the end of the war, to allow him to be there for her if and when she needed him. They’d decorated the house together the previous weekend, and it had been snowing all day. A blanket of white had descended on their little house and made everything seem soft, and safe, and quiet. She’d built a fire in the living room and pulled blankets from the closet. She’d made dinner – beef stew – and opened a bottle of red to breathe as she dressed.

She’d finished dusting her face with the light layer of make-up she wore. Her lips a dark rouge and her eyes rimmed in kohl. She ran her hands down the front of her, they slid easily over the dark green silk of her dress as she smoothed out the wrinkles. It fell below her knee and hugged her curves just the right way. 

She looked up when she heard Kaidan’s skycar. A smile tugged at her lips as she opened her omni-tool. Soft Christmas carols started to drift up the stairs as she padded softly towards the hallway. She took the stairs, descending slowly as she watched Kaidan walk into the house. Snow stuck to the salt and pepper curls at the top of his head as he shrugged out of his overcoat. He hung it, and turned running his hand over his head shaking the snow before it melted. Cait stopped at the landing and rested her arms on the railing to watch him. She chewed on her lip as Kaidan called out for her. 

“Over here,” she responded standing and taking the rest of the stairs, slowly making her way towards him. She knew he was watching her. She could feel his gaze like a warm gentle had and as it moved over her, she felt herself blushing. She hadn’t blushed at a look in … a very long time. Fuck. How long had it been since he’d touched her in a non-medic way?

“You look,” he mumbled as she reached him, his eyes meeting hers as his hands moved – almost without his thinking – to her waist. They slipped over her hips as she stepped into his embrace. She wrapped her arms around him and he enveloped her in his embrace. “striking.” She pulled back and smiled up at him. She reached up and ran her fingertips through the short hairs at the base of his head. She brought his lips to hers and kissed him. Slow at first, copying his gentle press of lips, but then letting her tongue tease his lips and he groaned, his lips parting and granting her access before he quickly broke the kiss. “How are you feeling today?” He released her, and her hands balled at her sides as she watched him move towards the living room.

“I feel fine today. I felt fine yesterday, and the day before that, and the week before that,” she knew her tone was harsh and maybe it wasn’t justified, but she was sick of the rejection. “Did you eat?” she asked as she followed him, finding him standing next to the blankets set out on the floor before the fire. He answered that he’d had dinner at the office without lifting his eyes to her. Their silence was only broken by the classic holiday tunes floating from the speakers. She let the silence linger before calling to him. He looked up at her; his eyes tight, his jaw clenched, fists balled at his sides. She moved over to him again, walking over the blankets and standing before him. She reached out and took his hands. 

“You look amazing tonight,” he whispered, his voice broken.

“Thank you,” she answered. “Will you do me a favor?”

“Of course; anything,” he promised, his eyes meeting hers. 

“Kiss me,” she said the words simply and felt him tense up. “Kiss me like … you believe I’m here. Kiss me like you believe I’m not going anywhere. Kiss me like you did before the war. Before Cerberus. Before Alchera. Take me in your arms and—” her words were cut off as he did as he was told. His arms wrapped around her midsection and pulled her into him. She whimpered as his tongue swept through her mouth. The hard planes of his chest pressed against her soft curves and she whimpered. He kissed her, slowly, deeply, thoroughly, as her hands fisted his shirt and held him closer. 

They kissed until their lips were numb, their lungs aching for oxygen. Stars flashed before her eyes as she gasped for breath. She reached up and cupped his face, her fingers finding them damp and she opened her eyes. Tears streamed down his face. “You’re really not leaving me again, are you?” he asked, his eyes searching hers as he held her against him. 

“No, *mo chuisle, never,” she promised as he pressed his forehead to hers. 

“And your doctor said you have … no restrictions?” he asked, his voice dropping an octave as he reached up and tugged at the zipper at the back of her dress. 

She shuddered, gooseflesh rising on her skin. “None,” she answered as his lips pressed a line of hot wet kisses to her neck. His strong, rough fingers moved the thin string of green fabric off her freckled shoulders letting the dress fall to join the blankets on the floor.

He swept her off her feet, lifting her in his arms before dropping to his knees and lying her out before him; he spoke one word, “Good.”

*mo chuisle is Irish for my pulse


End file.
